Rushkeys is the electronic musical project of Vilnius-based artist and producer Domas Ruškys. At the end of last month, he released a mesmerizing tune called ‘Bloom’ and, if I’m being honest, it’s formed a big part of my life’s soundtrack for this past month. I play it on a daily basis and have now found myself falling deeper into Rushkeys dreamy discography.
We wanted to get to know Domas a little better and were stoked when he agreed to an interview. Chatting with us about his brand new single, which albums he’d take to a deserted island, and what he has in store next, please give a big welcome to our friend Rushkeys!
Hey Domas! It’s so great to be able to re-introduce you to our audience today! For those who haven’t discovered your musical prowess just yet, who is Rushkeys and when did your love affair with music begin?
Hey Jeremy, thanks for having me. I’m an electronic music artist and producer based in Vilnius, Lithuania. I grew up in a musical environment and studied music graduating from music school as a piano and saxophone player, before studying sound engineering and electronic music composition.
As Rushkeys, I have never been very attached to one particular genre. I try to combine electronic, organic and world music elements here. I would describe my sound as dreamy. It has a feeling of childhood nostalgia. My music can be classified as downtempo, but I personally want it to be suitable both for dancing and for listening alone with headphones.
Songs like ‘Kira’ and ‘Aurora’ have over 67,000 and 81,000 plays respectively on Spotify. How does it feel to know that so many people are listening to and resonating with your music?
I use music as a means to express myself in truth and create an invisible connection with the listener, so it’s really nice to know that people feel it and resonate with my sound, although I try not to emphasize the number of listens too much.
You just unleashed your latest single in the form of ‘Bloom’, and it’s a tune that I’ve found myself drawn to more and more with each listen. You mentioned being inspired by the freedom of being and the uniqueness of our lives, but do you remember when the song first came to you?
This track started by sampling an old record from my archive. I’ve chopped and rearranged these bits, giving it a new lease on life. With this tune, I wanted to convey a celebration of the summer season, so the major tonality of the sample and additional tribal vocal chants were suitable for that.
Could you tell our readers a little bit about your creative process? How do you take just a thought or an idea and turn it into a song?
I don’t have one constant way, so it’s different every time, but usually, everything starts with some interesting element that dictates the further development of the track. It can be a sound design, a melody, or a sample from a record collection. I often start a track using an Ableton Push controller or a Novation Circuit Groovebox. As I continue to develop the track, I try to control the dynamics and energy levels to convey the emotion I’m going for.
Who would you credit, or give a shout-out to, for helping shape your overall musical soundscape? Who did you grow up listening to?
The circle of my favorite artists is constantly changing and filling up. As a teenager, I grew up listening to a lot of instrumental hip-hop music but, at the same time, I was also interested in electronic and dance sounds. I was curious about combining these two elements – the flow of sample-based hip-hop and the energy of dance music – and I wanted to find a middle ground without straying too much into one genre or the other. The first artist I probably heard doing this was Bonobo who naturally explored more upbeat approaches from the trip-hop aesthetic.
OK, Domas – desert island time! You’re allowed to grab 3 albums before being stranded on an island. Which do you choose?
At the moment they would be like this:
Catching Flies – Silver Linings
Bonobo – The North Borders
Burial – Untrue
When you’re not creating new music, what keeps you busy and what do you enjoy doing? Walk us through a non-musical day in the life of Rushkeys.
Since music is both my job and my biggest hobby, most of my free time revolves around it. I want to support the music I like and help other artists find their listeners, so I curate playlists where I share my new musical discoveries. They can be found here: https://rushkeys.com/playlists
I love nature, travel, and books, and I also practice the Wim Hof Method and love ice baths.
What does your musical future look like?
I am currently working on new material and some interesting collaborations, which I hope to share soon. I am also looking for new ways to present my music live.
